190 OETHOPTEEA. 



the sheets doubled over ; the grasshoppers were then swept 

 from each end towards the centre of the sheet, where was 

 left an opening to the mouth of a bag which held about half 

 a bushel ; when deposited and tied up, the drag was again 

 opened and ready to proceed. When this bag was filled so 

 as to become burdensome (their weight is about the same as 

 that of the same measure of corn), the bag was opened into a 

 larger one, and the grasshoppers received into a new deposit. 

 The drag can be used only in the evening, when the grass- 

 hoppers are perched on the top of the grain. His manner of 

 destroying them was by dipping the large bags into a kettle 

 of boiling water. When boiled, they had a reddish appear- 

 ance, and made a fine feast for the farmer's hogs." 



When these insects are very prevalent on our salt-marshes, 

 it will be advisable to mow the grass early, so as to secure 

 a crop before it has suffered much loss. The time for doing 

 this will be determined by data .furnished in the foregoing 

 pages, where it will be seen that the most destructive species 

 come to maturity during the latter part of July. If, then, 

 the marshes are mowed about the first of July, the locusts, 

 being at that time small and not provided with wings, will 

 be unable to migrate, and will consequently perish on the 

 ground for the want of food, while a tolerable crop of hay 

 will be secured, and the marshes will suffer less from the 

 insects during the following summer. This, like all other 

 preventive measures, must be generally adopted, in order 

 to prove effectual; for it will avail a farmer but little to 

 take preventive measures on his own land, if his neighbors, 

 who are equally exposed and interested, neglect to do the 

 same. 



Among the natural means which seem to be appointed 

 to keep these insects in check, violent winds and storms 

 may be mentioned, which sometimes sweep them off in 

 great swarms, and cast them into the sea. Vast numbers 

 are drowned by the high tides that frequently inundate our 

 marshes. They are subject to be attacked by certain thread- 



